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Caz releases my face, and I think to myself,Don’t go.
He doesn’t. He picks me up in his arms, and I rest my head on his chest.I’m not leaving you.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I hate when people see me cry, and he of all people is witnessing it. I’d think he was laughing on the inside if I couldn’t hear his concern.
He doesn’t say anything as he carries me out of the bathroom and places me down on the bed again. I’m surprised when he lies next to me. He doesn’t touch me, just lies there, waiting for my wave of sadness to pass. As he does, Silvera comes over, looking between us. It’s almost like she’s asking, “Did he do this to you?”
I force a smile at her, pat her head, and she gives us another thorough look before sauntering through of the crack of the bedroom door.
“You have to stop thinking about it,” he finally says.
I turn onto my side, peering out the window. There’s an ocean out there, the water nearly black. The water ripples beneath gray clouds, crashing at the shoreline. A barge moves along the water at a snail’s pace. “I’m trying.”
He’s quiet a moment. “Is it only Rami that has you this way?”
Truthfully, no…but I’m not telling him that. Doesn’t matter anyway. He’ll read my mind and figure it out. I really need to learn how to do that mind wall thing.
Caz sighs. “Willow, will you look at me?”
I don’t move. I keep my focus ahead.
“Who is Warren?”
I whip my head, glaring at him. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Why shouldn’t I? You keep thinking his name. Him and some person named Garrett. And Garrett is clearly no good for you, so I don’t understand why you allow him to take up so much space in your mind.”
“I should get back to my world,” I say, steering the subject.
“Look, you can’t let the things Rami did beat you down.”
His statement, though true, infuriates me. I sit up and face him, frowning. “How can you say something like that?” I shout, and he stares at me, unflinching. “I came to this world with no clue what was going on or what I was doing! I’ve been getting attackedconstantly, Caz! I’ve been called names that Ineverthought I’d hear, and a man almostrapedme!”
“I stopped him,” Caz counters.
“Yeah, when it was almost too late!” I’m battling tears again. “I called for you—Ikeptcalling for you, but you didn’t say anything back, and I thought…” I bite hard into my bottom lip, so hard I think it’ll bleed. “I thought you wouldn’t come. I thought you’d left.”
Caz’s brows dip and his head goes into a slight tilt, but I don’t look any longer to find out what else he does. Instead, I draw my legs to my chest and place my forehead on my knees. “I just want to go home.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said something like that.”
“Like what?” I mutter.
“That you thought I’d left you. You said this before when we were in Whisper Grove for the night. Why do you think I will abandon you in your times of need?”
“Because you hate me!” I shout, glaring at him, and his eyes widen. He’s slack-jawed. “Ever since I’ve gotten here, you’ve made itveryclear that you don’t want me around. And I don’t want to be! I didn’t ask for any of this!” I drop my legs and realize I sound like a whiny little girl with my next statement, but I say it again— “I just want to go home.”
Caz climbs off the bed, walking around to the bottom of it. “You think I hate you?”
“Don’t you?” The question comes out snarky. I don’t mean for it to, but at this point, I’m tired and in pain and I don’t want to talk anymore. He won’t answer anyway. He’s too fucking stubborn. He may as well just leave the damn room.
He marches around the bed and stops when he’s next to me, his knees hitting the edge of the mattress.
“Just go, Caz. No one’s forcing you to stay and look after me. I can take care of myself.”
I rest my back against the headboard, lowering my gaze, and when I do, he bends down and brings a hand to the back of my neck.
I look up into his crystal eyes, and a surge of energy hums through me as his lips fall down on mine. It takes me a moment to digest what’s happening, but not long because the energy is so potent, so powerful that I moan into his mouth.He’s kissing me.
